Sunday Night Australia taped exclusive interviews with friends of the Foundation last month, including Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) control participant Marc Jaffe, his wife Karen and Dr. Ken Marek, the study’s principal investigator. PPMI is The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s landmark Parkinson’s biomarkers clinical study.

Dr. Marek explains that the crucial part of PPMI is to be able to understand the disease process so that we can develop drugs to help slow the progression of, or even prevent, the disease.

As a participant in PPMI, Marc explains that as a caregiver for someone who has PD, there is only so much you can do for them. By participating in PPMI as a control, he is able to give more.

As a person with PD and a physician, Karen understands that clinical research is how we get our answers. She says she also knows how hard it can be to enrol participants in studies and many studies fail to finish because of low enrollment, so for Marc to step up to the plate and do this, it’s a very big thing for her as his wife, and as a physician.

Clyde Campbell and his family, of MJFF partner, Shake It Up Australia, are also featured in this exclusive interview talking about Clyde’s recent diagnosis of PD and his enrollment in PPMI. There is even a sweet moment between Clyde and his wife Carolyn captured on camera when she explains that Marc Jaffe inspired her to enrol in the PPMI study and that taking part as a control patient “is the least she can do.”

It is clear that the answer is in all of us and together, we’re all working together to help speed a cure. Watch the segment to hear more from Marc, Karen, Dr. Marek and the Campbell’s.